IN A FLASH, MAYOR’S RACE TURNS UPSIDE DOWN

Faulconer appears to have GOP field to himself, while Democrats flood into race

“What I’m going to do is ask people what they can do for their city, not what their city can do for them,” Aguirre said, evoking President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address. “I’m going to focus on four things — streets and sidewalks, a stable water supply and getting electricity prices down.”

Former City Councilwoman Donna Frye, a Democrat, said character will be what matters most.

“There is going to be more emphasis on that because of what we’ve just gone through, and that’s a good thing,” said Frye, who has ruled out running for mayor. “I would like to see someone who cares about the entire community, serves the public and makes sure the public has the chance to participate so that people can trust their government.”

Frye, a former ally of Filner, helped set his downfall in motion in July, saying she was aware of multiple instances of sexual misconduct by the mayor with other women. She said she won’t decide who gets her support until the candidate filing period closes on Sept. 20.

County Registrar Michael Vu is predicting a turnout of close to half of the city’s nearly 673,000 registered voters, 52 percent of whom are registered to vote by mail. The last mayoral special election was in 2005, when 44 percent of the electorate voted in the primary. Mail registration then was about 37 percent.

Whoever wins will serve the roughly three years left on Filner’s unexpired term.